Graduation Requirements at GWUOHS

Students graduating from The George Washington University Online High School (GWUOHS) are prepared for college, their careers, and the world beyond.

What a Student Needs to Graduate

To graduate from GWUOHS, students need a total of 24 credits. Full-time students must earn a minimum of 6 simultaneous credits from GWUOHS courses each year to be eligible for a GWUOHS diploma. 

Students must also meet the following requirements:

  • Checkmark iconBe no older than 21 years of age on or before the start of their final semester with GWUOHS
  • Checkmark iconHave earned at least 6 credits with GWUOHS
  • Checkmark iconBe a GWUOHS student for their two final (consecutive) semesters
  • Checkmark iconSatisfy the core course requirements
  • Checkmark iconSatisfy the concentration requirement

A counselor will work with each of our students to create a multi-year Individualized Academic Plan tailored to reflect the student’s aptitude, college goals, interests, and skills.

The Core Course Requirement for Graduation

At GWUOHS, we have a classical core requirement that directly aligns with the minimum requirements for many colleges. These minimum requirements for graduation are:

  • Checkmark iconEnglish: 4 credits (4 years)
  • Checkmark iconMath: 4 credits (4 years – Algebra 1 and higher)
  • Checkmark iconScience: 3 credits (3 years – 2 laboratory credits)
  • Checkmark iconHistory: 3 credits (3 years – including U.S. and World History)
  • Checkmark iconWorld Language: 3 credits (3 years)

We also require that students participate in the Journeys Symposium for all the years they’re enrolled at GWUOHS.

Students who plan to apply to highly selective colleges and universities should take courses beyond this minimum to present competitive applications. For math, they should take classes through at least Trigonometry or Calculus. For science, their courses should be laboratory sciences (biology, earth science, chemistry, and physics). For world languages, students should take 4 years of the same world language.

The Concentration Requirement for Graduation

Students choose a concentration at the end of the 10th grade. Suppose a student enrolls in 11th or 12th grade. In that case, they choose a concentration upon enrollment/initial schedule planning (Note: 11th and 12th grade transfer students should work with a GWUOHS college counselor to determine their individual requirements and/or elective credit needs). Students need 3 credits in their concentration to fulfill this graduation requirement.

Concentration options include:

  • Liberal Arts: Combination of history, world language, fine arts courses, and/or English courses beyond the credit requirement
  • Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM): Combination of science and/or technology courses and/or math courses beyond the credit requirement
  • Entrepreneurial: Combination of entrepreneurship, business, and/or economics courses

Get Started With GWUOHS Today

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